Daily Video

China asks for help searching for still-missing Malaysian plane

Officials still have no idea what happened to an airliner that disappeared over Southeast Asia on March 8.

An extensive air and sea search has so far failed to find any trace of the Malaysian jet that vanished en route to Beijing with 239 people aboard. The Boeing 777 disappeared from radar screens Saturday, somewhere between Malaysia and Vietnam, without any distress signal.

The 34 aircraft and 40 ships that have been deployed for the search have spotted objects and oil slicks in the water, but those turned out not to be from the plane.

Most of the passengers were from China or Taiwan, and their families are anxiously updates. Some flew to Kuala Lumpur to demand assistance.

“I want them to give us any information they have as soon as possible,” said one man. “That way, whether we go or not, at least we can have some certainty. Right now, our hearts are all hanging in the air.”

Two passengers on the plane came under tough scrutiny when it was discovered they had boarded the plane using stolen passports, but authorities revealed today that they had no ties to terror and at least one of them was seeking asylum.

Warm up questions

Where is Malaysia?

Which bodies of water would you fly over if you traveled from Malaysia to Beijing?

What evidence do authorities typically look for when they suspect a plane has crashed?

Discussion questions and writing prompts

Who is involved in the search for the plane and its passengers?

How might the information that two men used stolen passports to get on board affect the scope of the investigation?

What do you think might have happened to the plane and its passengers? Explain your answer